MAGAZINE - BE.ONE

I understand that your trip to India was quite
eventful and didn’t go quite as you had foreseen,
How did your journey begin?
Once I got off the plain, I was meant to be getting
a coach from the airport to Rishikesh, which is
an 8 hour journey, to be told that there was no
coach, so I tried to pay for a taxi. I had to get
my bank card out of my suitcase but in doing
so I then locked my bank card in my suitcase
with my keys. I left the airport to get some air,
only to realise they wouldn’t let me back in to
the airport. I needed the toilet, had no money,
my food was locked in my suitcase. I felt lost in
the middle of India. Eventually I managed to get
some internet reception, called the hotel, which
they then contacted a driver to come and pick
me up. I then had a 8 hour journey bursting for
the toilet.
What were your first thoughts when arriving in
India, was it what you expected?
No, I thought it would be westernised and
cleaner, but it was just absolute chaos and
mayhem. Everybody beeping their horn, dust
and dirt everywhere, kids on the street running
around naked, animals pulling carts that were
way too big for them. I actually couldn’t believe
how disorganised and how much poverty there
was. On the 8 hour trip every few minutes you
would see a massive pile of rubbish and there
were dogs dying on the side of the road; really,
really skinny.
What would you say was the first challenge when
you got to the yoga school?
I had booked on to do my ashtanga teacher
Be.one - 76 - Adventure